National Centre of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases

The National Center of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases (NCIPD) is a national institution with the status of scientific organization under the Ministry of Health. It's aim is to develop the scientific foundations of the fight against infectious diseases and methods for its implementation. This determines the intensive research on etiopathogenesis, immune reactivity, epidemiological features, laboratory diagnostics, treatment and immunoprophylaxis of bacterial and viral, including nosocomial, and parasitic infections.

NCIPD is the only non-university institution in the country that has been accredited since 1999 by the National Evaluation and Accreditation Agency (NEAA) at the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Bulgaria, as a university in the field of infectology with the rights to train PhD students and conduct postgraduate training in epidemiology, microbiology, virology, parasitology, and immunology and allergy. Long tradition is annually organizing dozens of training courses for specialists from the country and abroad with several hundred participants.

The NCIPD hosts all National Reference Laboratories (NRLs) for various bacterial, viral, and parasitic infections. Laboratory test Complex (LTC), which is for now the only in our country accredited by the Bulgarian Accreditation Service (BAS) in 2003 under the European requirements of standard BS EN ISO 17025 for quality of work. NRLs are under permanent international external laboratory control of the German accreditation system Instand.

Since 1998 the NCIPD, through the National Reference Laboratories, is conducting a National External Laboratory Control for the Quality of Laboratory Diagnostics carried out by all Microbiological, Virological and Parasitological Laboratories in the country, which, upon successful outcome, allows them to conclude contracts with the National Health Insurance Fund.

Since 2007, the NCIPD has been designated as a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center of the United Nations on epidemiological surveillance of communicable diseases and antibiotic resistance with the task of responding in these areas and training personnel for Southeast European and Asian countries former USSR.

In 2007 NCIPD was designated by the European Center for Disease Control (ECDC) in Stockholm as the leading, competent national organization, etc. "National competent body" in the field of infectious and parasitic diseases.

NCIPD, together with the Ministry of Health, performs daily extensive antiepidemic and organizational - methodical activity based on highly qualified expert and consultative assistance, specialized laboratory diagnostics, organization of workshops, seminars, etc., the issue of specialized research and scientific journals as Problems of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, newsletter and other informational and educational materials.

In the NCIPD laboratory-production activity are several original biological derivates for the national healthcare and export needs: allergen preparations for diagnostics and immunotherapy of allergic diseases, monoclonal antibodies to determine the blood group substances and lymphocyte markers and preparations for the diagnosis of parasitic infections. They are produced under Good Manufacturing Practice conditions, according to the requirements of the European Pharmacopoeia and ISO 9001/9000 standard.

The NCIPD implements a broad international cooperation in the field of research, postgraduate education and anti-epidemic surveillance of communicable diseases with WHO, ESC, UN Global Fund, Phare, Copernicus, Interreg, Tempus, NATO and a number of foreign universities and institutes on a bilateral or multilateral basis.

All of the above mentioned convincingly shows the very important and responsible position occupied by NCIPD in the national and international healthcare systems and fully corresponds to the motto, perceived and implemented daily by its associates: "In the name of science – for the good of the people".

NCIPD is the oldest scientific and practical institute in the field of healthcare in Bulgaria. Established in 1881, immediately after Bulgaria's liberation from Ottoman domination, it launched the modern struggle against contagious and parasitic diseases in the country based on the latest achievements of world science. Construction and equipment of the current NCIPD building done with the financial support of the Rockefeller Foundation in 1932-1935 significantly contributes in this respect.

On the basis of more than 139 years of development, the broad national and international reputation, built through the years, NCIPD today is a major national health unit, whose collaborators are developing scientific bases and methodical approaches for successful control of communicable diseases – their etiopathogenesis, epidemiology, laboratory diagnosis, immunotherapy and specific and non-specific immuno-prophylaxis, according to the latest achievements of science and the requirements of the WHO and the European Union.

In this respect, many long-standing traditions, continuity, broad international contacts and very good laboratory facilities at NCIPD have contributed to this, as well as the high requirements to be met by the specialists working there. All this facts make the NCIPD a very authoritative and respected national and international research and applied research institution. Special attention should be made on the complex, multidisciplinary approach in solving all scientific and practical problems and tasks in the fight against infectious and parasitic diseases based on the close cooperation between specialists from different fields: epidemiologists, microbiologists, virologists, parasitologists, immunologists, chemists, biochemists, veterinarians and others working in the NCIPD, which is a guarantee of success.

The main activities of NCIPD include:

• Research activity;
• Training of students and mainly graduate and doctoral students in the line of SDO;
• Reference laboratory diagnosis and expertise;
• Organizational and methodical assistance to Regional Health Inspectorates (RHIs) and all other healthcare facilities in the country and publishing activities in the field of infectious diseases;
• Production of certain biological preparations for diagnostics, therapy and immuno-prophylaxis.